In 2007, first-time director Robert Logevall finished an adaptation of “All God’s Children Can Dance” by Haruki Murakami. As the film heads to Japan for the first time this week, The Japan Times interviewed the director about the challenges of adapting Murakami.
We’ve embedded a trailer for All God’s Children Can Dance above. IMDb has more about the film and Amazon has a link to an imported DVD of the film from the Netherlands.
Here’s an excerpt from the director’s interview: “I believe his protagonists are universally relatable. I think around the world, young people particularly can relate to the alienation and spiritual emptiness of their generation that Murakami evokes in his stories. Yes, his writing is very much rooted in modern Japanese society and the foreign reader will probably never understand all its layers and nuances, but nevertheless, I find it makes for a curious and fascinating backdrop. I also believe the humor and surreal elements abundant in his writing do translate well across borders.” (Via Largehearted Boy)